Microsoft outage impacts services in Pennsylvania

YEAH, LAURIE AND BRIAN, CERTAINLY A LOT OF FOCUS ON THESE FISCAL FIGHTS, BOTH HERE IN HARRISBURG AS LAWMAKERS LEAVE THIS WEEK WITHOUT A BUDGET IN PLACE, BUT ALSO AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. AND NOW, GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO JOINING A LEGAL ACTION, A LAWSUIT ATTEMPTING TO FORCE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO CONTINUE FUNDING SNAP THROUGH CONTINGENCY FUNDS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT 25 OTHER STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ARE SEEKING TO DO. THAT WAS JUST ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT CAME UP TODAY DURING A VISIT BY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AUSTIN DAVIS AT THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FOOD BANK IN LOWER PAXTON TOWNSHIP. EARLIER TODAY. HE SAID THAT THE FUNDS SHOULD BE USED TO EXTEND SNAP BENEFITS AFTER NOVEMBER 1ST. THIS, OF COURSE, COMING AT THE TIME WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO BE FUNDING IT PAST THAT FUNDING DEADLINE, DAVIS, ACCUSING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OF DELIBERATELY CAUSING PAIN AMID A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN TO PUT PRESSURE ON SENATE DEMOCRATS TO PASS A CONTINUING RESOLUTION. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE PROGRAM BEGAN IN 1964 THAT SNAP PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN HALTED. WE’VE HAD SHUTDOWNS BEFORE, BUT NO OTHER PRESIDENT HAS GONE THIS FAR AND ALLOWED MILLIONS OF AMERICANS TO GO HUNGRY. IN A STATEMENT, REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN DAN MEUSER OF PENNSYLVANIA SAID IF THE GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA TRULY CARED ABOUT THE 1.8 MILLION PEOPLE WHO RELY ON SNAP, HE’D BE URGING SENATE DEMOCRATS TO PASS THE CLEAN CONTINUING RESOLUTION TO REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT AND RESTORE THOSE CRITICAL BENEFITS. NOW, SENATE DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS HAVE BEEN HOLDING OUT ON ALLOWING A VOTE ON THAT CONTINUING RESOLUTION, ESSENTIALLY TO TRY TO FORCE NEGOTIATIONS ON EXTENDING SUBSIDIES FOR THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT SET TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THE YEAR IN HARRISBURG, TOM LEHMAN. WGAL NEWS EIGHT. ALL RIGHT, TOM, THANK YOU. AND AS FOR BENEFITS ALREADY LOADED ONTO THOSE EBT CARDS AND INTO ACCOUNTS, THOSE WILL NOT GO AWAY ON SATURDAY IF THE SHUTDOWN IS STILL GOING ON AND USERS WILL STILL BE ABLE TO GET FOOD WITH THEM, THERE JUST WON’T BE ANY NEW FUNDS BEING PUT ONTO THOSE CARDS. OFFICIALS EXPECT ONCE THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS OVER, PEOPLE WILL GET THEIR NOVEMBER BENEFITS RETROACTIVELY. SNAP RECIPIENTS IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE FOOD ASSISTANCE ARE URGED TO CALL 211, OR YOU CAN VISIT THE FEEDING PENNSYLVANIA WEBSITE. BUT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP OUT WITH 211 HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA, LIKE THE UNITED WAY OF LANCASTER COUNTY, SAY THE DOUBLE WHAMMY OF THE FEDERAL SHUTDOWN AND THE STATE BUDGET IMPASSE MEANS THEY’RE SLOWER TO RESPOND. OUR CALLS ARE TAKING LONGER AT 211 BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE UNKNOWNS WE WANT. WHEN SOMEONE CALLS US IN A MOMENT OF CRISIS TO HAVE AN ANSWER AT HAND, AND IT’S A LOT MORE CHALLENGING WHEN EVERYONE’S BUDGETS ARE IN FLUX. ALONG WITH THE SNAP FUNDING DEADLINE. PEOPLE WHO GET HEALTH CARE UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT OR OBAMACARE COULD BE PAYING A LOT MORE SOON. AN ANALYSIS FROM THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION, A NONPARTISAN HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH GROUP, FOUND THAT PREMIUMS WILL RISE AN AVERAGE OF 26% IN 2026. THAT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST INCREASES IN MORE THAN A DECADE. IT HITS HOME FOR ONE LANCASTER COUNTY WOMAN WITH DIABETES WHO SPOKE IN THE STATE CAPITOL TODAY. ALL I HAVE FROM MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND THE PENNY SYSTEM AT THIS POINT IS A LETTER STATING THAT TAX CREDITS ARE EXPECTED TO EXPIRE AND MY MONTHLY PREMIUMS WILL GO UP IN JANUARY. THE PREDICTIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA IS THAT PREMIUMS WILL PROBABLY AT LEAST DOUBLE, WHICH MEANS THAT MY OUT OF POCKET EACH MONTH FOR MY PREMIUM WILL BE $1,016. WHEN YOU ADD THE OTHER MANDATORY OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS FOR INSULIN FOR BLOOD TESTING, SO THAT I CAN GIVE THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF INSULIN. I’M LOOKING AT $1,324 JUST TO STAY ALIVE. AND AS THIS DOUBLE WHAMMY OF STATE AND FEDERAL IMPASSES CONTINUES, BE SURE TO STAY WITH US ON AIR. ALSO ONLINE FOR HOW PENNSYLVANIANS ARE BEING IMPACTED AND THE HELP THOSE PEOPLE CAN SEEK IF THEY NEED IT. BREAKING NEWS ON THE U.S. ECONOMY AT THIS HOUR. THE FEDERAL RESERVE HAS LOWERED INTEREST RATES BY A QUARTER POINT FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR. FED OFFICIALS ARE MAKING THESE DECISIONS WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF FEDERAL ECONOMIC DATA BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. IT’S THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE 1930S THAT THEY’RE SETTING POLICY WITHOUT ACCESS TO A FULL MONTH OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT DATA, SOMETHING THE FED CHAIR, JEROME POWELL, IS VERY AWARE OF. THE SHUTDOWN OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL WEIGH ON ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WHILE IT PERSISTS. BUT THESE EFFECTS SHOULD REVERSE AFTER THE SHUTDOWN ENDS. HOW DID WALL STREET REACT? WELL, MIXED NUMBERS TODAY. THE DOW FINISHED DOWN 74. THE NASDAQ GAINED 131, AND THE S&P 500 WAS DOWN A FRACTION OF A POINT. LET’S TAKE A LOOK OUTSIDE. HERE AT THE CLOUDS ARE HANGING AROUND ABOVE YORK THIS EVENING. BUT A BEAUTIFUL DAY TODAY. GOING TO GIVE WAY TO SOME RAIN THOUGH HERE SOON. SOME MUCH NEEDED RAIN. HERE’S METEOROLOGIST ETHAN HUSTON AND ETHAN. I UNDERSTAND THERE’S ALSO SOME WIND WITH THIS. THAT’S RIGHT, I EXPECT SOAKING RAIN, HEAVY RAIN AT TIMES, AND ALSO SOME STRONG GUSTY WINDS. AND WE DO HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL IN THE MIX. HERE’S A LOOK AT THE TEMPERATURES RIGHT NOW 57 DEGREES IN HARRISBURG. ALSO THE SAME IN LANCASTER. WE’VE GOT THE CLOUDS. THERE COULD BE SOME SPOTTY SHOWERS RIGHT NOW ON LIVE LOCAL LATE. BUT WHAT YOU’RE SEEING HERE IS LIKELY NOT REACHING THE GROUND JUST YET, OTHER THAN PERHAPS A FEW SPRINKLES HERE AND THERE ACROSS THE VALLEY, THERE IS A BIG STORM SYSTEM THAT IS BREWING OFF TO OUR SOUTHWEST, MOVING THROUGH THE TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY. ALL OF THAT MOISTURE AND STORM ENERGY IS LIFTING TO THE NORTHEAST. AND THEN WE’RE GOING TO START TO SEE OUR RAIN CHANCES RAMP UP LATER TONIGHT. SO SOME SPOTTY SHOWERS MOVE INTO THE VALLEY AFTER SUNSET. BUT IT’S LATER TONIGHT AFTER MIDNIGHT, STEADY SOAKING RAIN STARTS TO MOVE ON IN, AND THEN THAT RAIN WILL INTENSIFY AS WE GET CLOSER TO DAWN TOMORROW. AND IT IS AN IMPACT NIGHT. AND TOMORROW IS AN IMPACT DAY BECAUSE WE’RE TALKING ROUNDS OF HEAVY RAIN TOMORROW MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON, AND THEN DURING THE AFTERNOON WE’LL START TO SEE THE WINDS PICK UP. WE’LL SEE MORE IN THE WAY OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON. SO BE EXPECTING A SLOW MORNING COMMUTE. WET LEAVES WILL BE AROUND, MAKING THE ROADS SLICK, AND WIND GUSTS COULD BE UP NEAR 40MPH. ADD IT ALL UP AND I THINK MUCH OF THE VALLEY IS PICKING UP ONE TO 2.5IN OF RAIN. THERE COULD BE SOME ISOLATED SPOTS THAT RECEIVE MORE. NOW THIS STORM WILL PULL AWAY, BUT THE STRONG WINDS WILL REMAIN. THURSDAY NIGHT ON INTO HALLOWEEN, AND THOSE STRONG WINDS WILL BE IMPACTING FRIDAY.

Microsoft announced that users may experience difficulties accessing some of its services due to an ongoing outage affecting its Azure cloud portal.The outage has reportedly impacted services such as Office 365, Minecraft, Xbox Live, Costco, and Starbucks.In Pennsylvania, the state Department of Labor and Industry confirmed that some of the commonwealth’s online services and websites, including its own, are temporarily unavailable due to the outage.The department shared a message on Facebook earlier this evening, stating, “We remain in regular communication with Microsoft as they work to resolve the issue and restore full functionality.”

Microsoft announced that users may experience difficulties accessing some of its services due to an ongoing outage affecting its Azure cloud portal.

The outage has reportedly impacted services such as Office 365, Minecraft, Xbox Live, Costco, and Starbucks.

In Pennsylvania, the state Department of Labor and Industry confirmed that some of the commonwealth’s online services and websites, including its own, are temporarily unavailable due to the outage.

The department shared a message on Facebook earlier this evening, stating, “We remain in regular communication with Microsoft as they work to resolve the issue and restore full functionality.”